Reassessing the association between age at menarche and cardiovascular disease: observational and Mendelian randomization analyses

Aims Observational studies have shown a U-shaped association between age at menarche (AAM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We assessed non-linearity of the observational association and the potential causal relationship between AAM and CVD using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition—Cardiovascular Disease (EPIC-CVD) study and the UK Biobank. Methods and results We…

Sexual Dysfunction in Women With Eating Disorders: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background Eating disorders (EDs) are common mental health conditions that impact people globally. Sexual health problems are also widely researched across various contexts. This paper explores the connection between these two areas by conducting a meta-analysis to assess sexual dysfunction (SD) in women with EDs compared to healthy individuals. Methods Multiple electronic databases were searched.…

Inflammation and gut barrier function-related genes and colorectal cancer risk in western European populations

Gut barrier dysfunction and related inflammation are known to be associated with the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). We investigated associations of 292 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 27 genes related to endotoxins/lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensing and tolerance, mucin synthesis, inflammation, and Crohn’s disease with colon and rectal cancer risks. Incident CRC cases (N = 1374; colon = 871,…

Comprehensive analysis of West Nile Virus transmission: Environmental, ecological, and individual factors. An umbrella review

Background West Nile Virus (WNV) exemplifies the complexities of managing vector-borne diseases, expanding globally due to human activities and ecological changes. Originating from Africa and transmitted by Culex mosquitoes, WNV is now reported across multiple continents. The aim of this study was to identify the environmental, ecological, and individual factors influencing WNV transmission. Methods An…

Higher intakes of dietary dicarbonyl compounds are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease

Aims Dicarbonyl compounds such as methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO), and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) are present in numerous foods. They are pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative, but their potential role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) development has been scarcely studied. We explored associations between dietary dicarbonyls with fatal and non-fatal CVD. Methods and results We conducted a case-cohort analysis based…

A longitudinal Analysis of the Association between Socioeconomic Position and Multimorbidity in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Study

The association between socioeconomic position (SEP) and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is well established, but its role in driving multimorbidity remains unclear. Multimorbidity, defined as the co-occurrence of more the one chronic condition, is linked to higher mortality and reduced quality of life. This study investigates the association between SEP and multimorbidity using data from the…

Association of circulating fatty acids with cardiovascular disease risk: analysis of individual-level data in three large prospective cohorts and updated meta-analysis

Aims Associations of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remain controversial. We therefore aimed to investigate the prospective associations of objectively measured FAs with CVD, including incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, as well as CVD mortality. Methods and results Circulating FA concentrations expressed as the percentage of total FAs…

Changes in molecular biomarkers of neurotoxicity in newborns following prenatal exposure to organophosphate compounds

The rising incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders has been associated with early-life exposure to environmental factors, particularly neurotoxicants like organophosphate compounds (OPCs), which can impact brain development and function. This study examined the relationship between prenatal exposure to OPCs and molecular biomarkers of neurotoxicity in cord blood from 398 mother-child pairs in the GENEIDA birth cohort…

Prediagnostic Plasma Nutrimetabolomics and Prostate Cancer Risk: A Nested Case–Control Analysis Within the EPIC Study

Background and Objective: Nutrimetabolomics may reveal novel insights into early metabolic alterations and the role of dietary exposures on prostate cancer (PCa) risk. We aimed to prospectively investigate the associations between plasma metabolite concentrations and PCa risk, including clinically relevant tumor subtypes. Methods: We used a targeted and large-scale metabolomics approach to analyze plasma samples…

Examining causal relationships between educational attainment and type 2 diabetes using genetic analysis: findings from the EPIC-InterAct study through Mendelian randomisation

Introduction Observational studies have shown that more educated people are at lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, robust study designs are needed to investigate the likelihood that such a relationship is causal. This study used genetic instruments for education to estimate the effect of education on T2D using the Mendelian randomisation (MR)…